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A Master’s in Finance and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) are both respected graduate degrees that can equip you for advancement in your business career.
While they might have some similarities in curriculum, duration, and cost, each degree prepares you differently for the career you might have in mind. As such, your personal and professional goals will play a significant role in your decision between which degree to pursue.
What’s the difference between a Master’s in Finance and an MBA?
Master’s in Finance vs. MBA Curriculum
MBA programs typically offer a broad and comprehensive business education that encompasses finance, markets, accounting, entrepreneurship, leadership, and management. An MBA can be tailored to different career interests with a concentration in Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Management, Operations, or IT.
A Master’s in Finance (or Master’s in Applied Finance) curriculum will be less broad, but dive deep into finance-related areas, like financial theory, mathematics, quantitative finance, investments, markets, financial reporting and analysis, and valuation.
Master’s in Finance vs. MBA Careers
In looking at what you’ll study, you’ll probably notice that these two graduate programs prepare you for different types of careers.
As an MBA graduate, you’ll have a wide range of careers and industries from which to choose – from executive roles, to product manager positions, to consultancy work, to general management. You might find yourself working for a hedge fund, a corporation, a tech startup, a nonprofit – just about anywhere a business leader can affect positive outcomes.
Master’s in Finance graduates are certainly not cut off from any of those fields or positions, but the tailored preparation encountered in the MF curriculum prepares you to excel specifically in roles like financial analyst, financial manager, and personal financial advisor.
MF graduates also find work in securities, commodities, and trading and principal investments by focusing on subjects like capital markets, investment management, and economic strategy. Corporate or entrepreneurial finance are also options, as is investment banking.
MBA programs are excellent preparation for these arenas – particularly an MBA with a concentration in Finance – but a dedicated Master’s Degree in Finance might be a more efficient and expedient path.
Master’s in Finance vs. MBA Cohort and Schedule
MBA students tend to have more work experience than their MF counterparts, so the individuals with whom you’ll study in an MBA program might be slightly older than those in a Master’s in Finance program.
At Aventis, our MBA and Msc in Global Finance Management program is completed within 10 months, making it very suitable for busy working professionals and fresh graduates.
Every program and school differs, but many MF programs are designed for students coming straight out of their undergraduate school studies, which allows them to matriculate faster and leverage their learning quickly.
Master’s Degree in Finance vs. MBA – Conclusion
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to which degree is right for you—a Master’s Degree in Finance vs. an MBA—but consider your schedule, work-life balance, and goals when determining the path that will yield the most personal and professional satisfaction. Changes in the business landscape are increasing the demand for specialized degrees like the Master’s in Finance and Applied Finance. Greater access to data calls for more analytical thinking, so while an MBA continues to carry prestige, a Master’s Degree in Finance could open plenty of doors in your career.
About Aventis Graduate School
Aventis is a Global Graduate School, headquartered in Singapore with more than 60,000 learners across the world. Established since 2007, Aventis collaborates with leading universities across the United Kingdom and the United States to deliver best in class graduate education for working professionals across Asia. Aventis offers an exciting suite of business programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Global Financial Management.
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Source: Bschool